Zoom vs Microsoft Teams: Which is Best in 2025?

Collaboration equals productivity. That’s the reality for businesses navigating remote work and digital transformation; and two collaboration solutions stand out. But the choice between Zoom and Microsoft Teams isn’t just about quality video calling anymore, it’s about finding a comprehensive solution that supports your entire workflow.

Both platforms have evolved significantly, with Microsoft Teams reaching 320 million monthly active users¹ and Zoom maintaining its position as the go-to video conferencing solution with a 55.91% market share in 2024². So which one truly serves Singapore businesses better in 2025?

This guide will help you understand the key differences between these platforms, from pricing structures to advanced features. We’ll also explore how using the Wise Business Card to pay for your SaaS subscriptions can help you avoid unnecessary foreign transaction fees and get better exchange rates.

Table of contents
Zoom vs Microsoft Teams: Quick comparison How does Zoom work? How does Microsoft Teams work? Manage your collaboration tool payments with Wise Business Zoom vs Teams: FAQs Zoom vs Microsoft Teams: Which is best for you?

Zoom vs Microsoft Teams: Quick comparison

Feature	Zoom³	Microsoft Teams⁴
Free Plan	100 participants, 40-minute limit	100 participants, 60-minute limit
Starting Price	USD 4/user/month (Pro)	USD 4/user/month (Essentials)
Maximum Participants	1,000 (with Enterprise)	20,000 (live events)⁵
File Storage	5GB (Pro plan)	1TB per user (Microsoft 365 Basic)
AI Features	AI Companion included	Intelligent Recap, Copilot available
Mobile Support	Yes, consistent functionality	Yes, 75+ million daily mobile users
Integration Focus	Third-party apps, lightweight	Microsoft 365 integration

*Details accurate as of 3rd June 2025

➡️ If you’re looking to understand these platforms in greater detail, you might like to read our full guides to Zoom pricing plans here, or Microsoft Teams pricing plans here.

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How does Zoom work?

Zoom has evolved far beyond simple video conferencing into a comprehensive unified communications platform that encompasses team collaboration tools, VoIP phone systems, and virtual office setup support. What sets Zoom apart is its unwavering focus on delivering exceptional video conferencing experiences that remain consistent across every device and platform.

Whether you’re joining from a desktop application, web browser, or mobile device, Zoom does all the same things to the same high standard. This reliability has made it the preferred choice for businesses that prioritise video quality and user experience above all else.

For businesses operating in regulated industries, Zoom’s security framework offers granular control that goes well beyond basic password protection. Administrators can fine-tune authentication methods, enabling or disabling SAML, OAuth, and password-based access on a per-account basis. You choose who can access which discussions, keeping sensitive information in the right hands.

Zoom’s AI Companion makes distilling those key meeting insights even easier, combining real-time summaries, document creation, team chat with intelligent thread summarisation, and creative image generation through Zoom Whiteboard.

Zoom pricing and fees

Zoom offers a tiered pricing structure designed to scale with your business needs:³

• Basic (Free): 100 participants, 40-minute group meeting limit
• Pro: 100 participants, USD 13.33/user/month (when billed annually)
• Business: 300 participants, USD 18.33/user/month
• Enterprise: 1000 participants, prices available on request

Zoom pros and cons

While Zoom excels in its core video conferencing capabilities, it’s important to understand both its strengths and limitations when considering it for your Singapore business.

Pros:

• Exceptional video and audio quality
• Lightweight, easy-to-use interface
• Excellent cross-platform consistency
• Strong third-party integrations
• Advanced AI features with Zoom AI Companion
• Reliable performance even with large participant numbers

Cons:

• 40-minute limit on free group meetings
• Limited collaboration features compared to Teams
• Less integrated with business productivity suites
• Additional costs for advanced features and larger meetings

Zoom works best for businesses that prioritise straightforward, high-quality video conferencing without complex collaboration requirements.

How does Microsoft Teams work?

Microsoft Teams approaches business communication from a different angle, positioning itself as a comprehensive collaboration ecosystem rather than just a video conferencing tool.

Unlike Zoom, which focuses primarily on meetings, Teams integrates with the entire Microsoft 365 suite, creating a unified workspace where documents, spreadsheets, and presentations flow seamlessly into conversations.

The Teams platform’s real strength is its channels and chat capabilities, which improve how teams collaborate on ongoing projects. When you’re working on shared documents, the enhanced OneDrive navigation introduced in April 2025 remembers exactly where you left off, making it effortless to pick up conversations and continue work exactly where previous meetings ended.

Enterprise security runs deeper than surface-level protections. Teams leverages Azure Active Directory to implement conditional access policies that perform real-time device compliance checks before anyone can access sensitive research and development channels. For FinTech businesses, for example, Microsoft Purview integration works behind the scenes to automatically apply IRAP-certified retention policies, ensuring projects remain compliant with the Monetary Authority of Singapore cloud guidelines without requiring manual oversight.

The AI capabilities span from practical meeting assistance through Intelligent Recap, which captures automatic meeting notes, to more sophisticated features like AI-generated translations across 40 languages for Premium users. Teams Copilot now integrates with Power BI, creating automated project dashboards during meetings that can even cross-reference public databases and provide real-time insights.

Teams has also improved accessibility features, including automatic spotlighting of sign language interpreters during meetings - an important consideration for Singapore’s inclusive workplace requirements.

Microsoft Teams pricing and fees

Microsoft has made significant pricing changes for 2025 that directly impact business budgets:⁴

• Microsoft Teams (Free): Basic features, 60-minute meetings
• Teams Essentials: USD 4/user/month
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: USD 6/user/month (includes web Office apps)
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard: USD 12.50/user/month (includes desktop Office apps)
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium: USD 22/user/month (includes advanced security)

Microsoft Teams pros and cons

Teams offers a comprehensive collaboration platform, but this breadth of features comes with both advantages and potential drawbacks depending on your business needs.

Pros:

• Deep integration with Microsoft 365 ecosystem
• Superior collaboration features for document sharing
• Excellent for large-scale presentations (up to 20,000 participants)
• Advanced security features in premium plans
• Strong AI capabilities with Copilot integration
• No time limits on meetings with paid plans

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve for non-Microsoft users
• Can feel overwhelming for simple video conferencing needs
• Higher costs for full feature access
• Recent 25% price increase for Teams Phone licenses

Teams excels for organisations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem and those requiring high-level collaboration tools as well as video conferencing.

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Manage your collaboration tool payments with Wise Business

Whether you opt for Zoom or Teams, it’s worth taking a closer look at the currency you’ll be billed in. Many SaaS tools still charge in USD or other major foreign currencies, which can create hidden costs for Singapore businesses.

Most Singapore businesses use their corporate bank card for all expenses without realising they’re being charged foreign transaction fees and exchange-rate markups. These unnecessary costs can impact your monthly expenses and eat into your profits.

Traditional corporate cards often charge:

• Foreign transaction fees (typically 2-3%)
• Exchange rate markups on top of the mid-market rate

The Wise Business multi-currency card offers a smarter way to pay for these subscriptions. You’ll get the mid-market exchange rate with no exchange rate markup, and avoid the hefty foreign transaction fees that most corporate credit cards impose.

➡️Get Wise Business for Smart Savings

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Zoom vs Teams: FAQs

Which platform offers better value for money?

For pure video conferencing, Zoom often provides better value with its focused feature set. Teams offers superior value if you’re already using Microsoft 365 applications, as the integration creates a more comprehensive workspace solution.

Can I use both platforms simultaneously?

Yes, many businesses use both platforms strategically:

• Teams for internal collaboration and document sharing, and
• Zoom for external client meetings.

Which platform is better for large meetings?

Teams excels at large-scale events with support for 300 participants and up to 20,000 listen-only participants.

Zoom doesn’t offer listen-only options, and caps at 1,000 participants.

Both are well-suited to large company events and webinars, depending on the number of active participants.

How do mobile experiences compare?

Both platforms offer robust mobile support. Zoom maintains consistent functionality across all devices, whilst Teams has reached over 75 million daily mobile users, indicating strong mobile adoption and reliability.

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Zoom vs Microsoft Teams: Which is best for you?

The choice between Zoom and Teams ultimately depends on what software you already use and your goals, but there are clear scenarios where one platform significantly outperforms the other.

Choose Zoom if video-first communication is your top priority.

This applies particularly if:

• You prefer a lightweight, easy-to-use solution
• Your team values simplicity over extensive collaboration features
• You’re not heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem

Companies that rely on client meetings, remote consultations, or external collaboration find Zoom’s streamlined approach more effective. Its exceptional video quality and intuitive interface mean less time troubleshooting technical issues and more time focusing on meaningful conversations. This makes it particularly valuable for businesses in consulting, finance, or healthcare where client-facing video quality directly impacts professional credibility.

Zoom also suits businesses with technology challenges better than Teams. If your team uses a mix of different software tools, email providers, or operating systems, Zoom’s platform-agnostic design ensures everyone can participate equally regardless of their tech setup. It’s also lightweight, so it works reliably even in areas where internet connectivity might be less consistent.

Choose Microsoft Teams if collaboration drives your business operations.

This applies particularly if:

• You’re already using Microsoft 365 applications
• Your business requires extensive document collaboration
• You need advanced security features
• You regularly host large-scale events or webinars

Teams comes into its own with document sharing, real-time editing, and project coordination. Architecture, engineering, or research businesses benefit enormously from Teams’ ability to seamlessly blend conversations with document workflows. When your team needs to review contracts, edit presentations, or analyse spreadsheets together, Teams eliminates the friction of switching between multiple applications.

The platform also makes sense for businesses planning significant growth or digital transformation. Teams’ enterprise security features, compliance tools, and integration capabilities provide a foundation that can scale with your operations. For companies handling sensitive data or operating in regulated industries, Teams’ deep integration with Microsoft’s security ecosystem offers peace of mind that standalone solutions struggle to match.

For Singapore businesses undergoing digital transformation with tools like Zoom and Teams, it’s worth taking a closer look at your business account setup, how you’re paying for your subscriptions, and if it is serving your global expansion plans effectively.

💡Need to pay or get paid in foreign currencies? Wise Business could be a better alternative business account as you can hold, send, receive and exchange 40+ currencies all in one place. You’ll always get the mid-market rate with low, transparent fees. Even better, you can connect Wise Business cards to your account to control team spending in real time and reduce admin.

• Hold and manage 40+ currencies for all your international transactions.
• Pay foreign currency bills and ad-hoc business travel expenses using the Wise Business card without hefty foreign transaction fees.
• Get your first Wise Business card for free when you open a Wise Business account.
• Always get the mid-market rate with transparent conversion fees starting from 0.26%.
• Seamless integrations with popular accounting software.

➡️Get started with Wise Business today

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Sources:

1. Microsoft Teams Monthly Active Users
2. Video Conferencing Market Share
3. Zoom Pricing
4. Microsoft Teams Pricing
5. Microsoft Teams Audience Limits

Sources checked on 3rd June 2025.